Snares of the Soul
1 day ago
3 min read
Today's Verse:
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. ~Psalm 124:7
During David’s time, men were experts in catching small game for food. Among this small game was the capture of small birds. Hunters would make these clever traps that an unsuspecting bird would venture into and get caught in. The capture typically would inhibit the bird from flying away once it was caught. The trap was commonly referred to as the snare of the fowler. Satan has many traps that he lays for unsuspecting Christians. Let us see how we can escape these traps.
We see the essence.
David begins this verse with the words “our soul.” The most important aspect of you is your soul. Jesus asked, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The soul is the essence of man. God breathed into man, and he became a living soul. The real you is your soul. Your soul is eternal, and it will go to Heaven if you are saved or to Hell if you are not. David compares our soul to a bird. The kind of bird is small, perhaps a swallow or something similar. We are little compared to God. A bird is venturesome and eager. We are like that. We like to do our own thing and venture out sometimes at risk to our spiritual safety. Birds are defenseless. They are vulnerable prey to much larger birds and other predators. We, too, are spiritually vulnerable to attacks from spiritual predators.
We see the entrapment.
We see the snare of the fowler. It is a trap that is meant to capture and hold. It is subtly hidden. It is baited as an enticement. How does a bird wind up getting caught? First, it is drawn by hunger and appetite. It is looking for food and is drawn to the bait that leads to the trap. We get into soul trouble when we allow our fleshly and worldly desires to drive our decisions. Fleshly lusts constantly war against the soul. Worldly gain is driven by lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. Wrong doctrine is many times baited to look like food for the soul, but is a trap for immature believers. Bird catchers sometimes use a decoy to trap a bird. The bird is drawn to something resembling it, only to discover it is not real. We must be careful of friendships that lead us into sin. Sometimes bird catchers will use the method of fear to lead the bird into a trap. Fear many times is a snare to the soul. Solomon said, “The fear of man bringeth a snare.” Satan has many traps that are hidden and waits for us to walk right into one of them.
We see the escape.
“The snare is broken, and we are escaped.” The bird by himself cannot bring about an escape. Someone who has pity on the plight of the bird has to come along and set it free. The escape of our soul from the snare of the fowler can only be accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One Who alone can break the snare so that we can escape. He breaks the snare of fear, and instead we have faith in God. He breaks the snare of sin and its powerful hold. He breaks the strongholds that seek to hold us. His power alone is sufficient to give us an escape. Think of what happens when the bird is escaped. It is able to soar the heights of the sky again. It is able to sing with joy. It is more watchful and vigilant so as to not be ensnared again. It will tend to spend more of its time above the ground, where it is safer. When our soul is escaped, we too, live above in the heights and live our lives where it is safe.
Satan’s traps are many and hidden. Be vigilant, prudent, and under the watchful eye of our loving Lord.
Have a victorious God Morning!
Reading Schedule: Ezekiel 40-42
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